Rotary brush and method of making same



Oct. 17, 1950 A. J. ROSE 2,525,947

ROTARY BRUSH AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed June 16, 1945 INVENTOR.

ANTHONY J.ROSE

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ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 17, 1950 ROTARY BRUSH AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Anthony J :Rose, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor to The flsborn Manufacturing Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June is, 1945, Serial No. 599,919

The present improvements, relating as indicated to the manufacture of brushes, have more particular regard to rotary brushes of the type largely used in manufacturing operations for the purpose of cleaning and polishing metal parts.

Brushes of the type in question require to be mounted on a shaft or :arbor for the purpose of rotating .thesame and are desirably made in sections so that a brush face of any desired width may be obtained by mounting on such an arbor one or more sections in closelyadjacent relation.

Brushes of this type are used in large numbers, the size or diameter of the diiferent brushes varying greatly and the brush material employed therein varying with the particular kind of service to which the brush is to be put. Thus such material may consist of stranded wires of steel, brass or other metal, and drawn either very fine for extremely delicate operations or relatively heavy and of the hardest available metal where the brush is subjected to heavy duty on the order of grinding or cutting rather than merely polishing metal parts.

One object of the present invention is to provide a simple and economical construction of brush or brush section of the type in question, adapted to be mounted on an arbor in the manner described, either singly or in a group of any desired number. A further object is to provide a brush of this type which may be made with a minimum amount of equipment .and number of operations so that the cost of manufacture will be correspondingly reduced.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail one method and one product exemplifying the invention, such disclosed procedure and product constituting, however, but one of various applications of the prin ciple of, the invention.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. lls a side elevation showing one-half of a rotary brush orbrushsection constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse axial section of such brush or brush section; and

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view showing such brush at an intermediate point in its manufacture, along with certain operative parts of the mechanism employed in such manufacture, such drawing at the same time illustrating the method of manufacture.

10 Claims. (CI. 300--2'1) gated elements.

Referring first to the construction of the brush as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the brush element l proper .is composed of a plurality of strands 2, doubled upon one or more circularly disposed retaining wires 3 or equivalent elon- It will be understood that the ends of such retaining Wire or wires where brought together will be twisted upon each other or otherwise suitably secured so as to maintain the base of the brush element in desired circular form. Such base is further thus retained in desired form and strengthened by being seated in an annular outwardly facing channel l, the side walls of which laterally embrace the stranded brush material 2 where thus doubled upon retaining wires 3.

The particular manner in which the brus element is thus constructed and made is a matter of indifierence so long as a channel base of the general form illustrated is utilized. Thus, for example, the element may be of theform illustra'ted in Patent No. 2,160,029 to L. H. Nielsen, or it may take the form of the brush element illustrated in Patent No. 2,288,337 to W. S. Whittle. Similarly, as indicated above, the stranded brush material 2 may be composed of crinkled wires as shown, or of tampico or any of the other material available for use in brushes.

Applied to the respective sides of the annular channel base 4 are two complementary supporting members 5, 5 of general disc-like form. Each such member is provided centrally with an inwardly turned flange 6 whereby when the parts are assembled a circular seat is formed of the proper diameter to fit the shaft or arbor on which the brush is to be mounted. Each member is also formed with a peripheral offset flange 1, the amount of offset being such that when the two membersare brought together a seat of proper Width is provided to receive the channel base 4 of brush element I.

Finally, such base is securely held in the seat thus provided by secondary inwardly bent flanges 8 on the outer edges of flanges I that interlock with the side walls of channel'base it As a result of the construction just described it will be seen that the channel base of brush element I is firmly secured in the seat formed by the two offset flanges of supporting members 5, and at the same time the latter are held in closely juxtaposed relation. In other words, it is unnecessary to rivet, Weld or otherwise fasten such supporting members together as has always been required in brush :sections of the type in ques- On as heretofore constructed.

Furthermore, the construction just described lends itself to the very simple and efficient method of manufacture which will now be described. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the brush element l in the intermediate stage of assembly of the brush there shown has its base seated in a channel 4, the walls of which are divergent instead of in substantially parallel relation so as to press against the sides of the strands 2 where they are looped around retaining wires 3. Likewise, the complementary supporting members 5, while otherwise formed as described, have the supplemental flanges 8 bent inwardly but at a less acute angle than in the finished brush. In other words, while said flanges 8 lie at an acute angle to flanges l, the spacing thereof in relation to the side walls of the channel base 4, when the latter are spread apart, is such that said flanges before they are compressed will freely pass over the outer edges of said side walls into contact with the inner surfaces of flanges l.

The illustrative mechanism for completing the assembly of the brush parts comprises a lower die I I which has a face formed toreceive one of the supporting members 5 and is desirably provided with an upstanding pin which serves as a guide for the upper die [2. The latter has a face complementary to that of lower die H which is likewise adapted to receive in reverse relation a second side member 5. Means (not shown) are of course provided for forcibly pressing the two dies ll and l2 together.

In using the foregoing mechanism a supporting member is dropped into place in die H; then a brush element l in the intermediate form illustrated in Fig. 3 is dropped onto said supporting member and the second supporting member in turn dropped over such brush element. The upper die I2 is thereupon forced downwardly until the two supporting members 5, 5 are brought substantially into contact. The result of the relative movement of said members will be to press the side walls of channel base 4 toward each other and at the same time cause the inwardly directed angularly inclined flanges 8 on the members 5 to interlock with the outer edges of such side walls. Thus the finished brush or brush section as illustrated in Fig. 2 will be completed by the simple downward movement of the upper die [2.

It should be noted that the effect of the engagement of the peripheral inwardly directed rebent flanges of the supporting members with the corresponding side Wal s of the channel-form base of the brush element serves not only to secure said supporting members together so as to form a completed brush or brush section, but also serves to reenforce and thus strengthen such channel base. At the same time, inasmuch as the rebent peripheral flanges of the supporting members lie within the outer edges of the side walls, the brush material will be additionally compacted through a corresponding circu ar area and more securely held in p ace in the channel-form base than would otherwise be the case. The term brush as used herein will be understood to apply to a unit made up as described of a channelform base wherein the brush material is secured and has supporting members interlocked with such base. Actually, as has been explained, such unit ma be used merely as one section of a brush where it is desired that the latter should have a face of greater extent than provided by the brush material which can be properly secured to a single channel-form annular base.

Other modes of applying the principle Of my 11.

vention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the product and method herein disclosed, provided the step or steps stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated step or steps be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a rotary brush, the combination of a circular channelform base having spaced outer edges, brush material secured in said base and extending radially therefrom, a retaining member securing said brush material in said base, and two annular supporting members for said base, said supporting members respectively laterally overlying the two sides of said base and each having peripheral flanges folded over and respectively enclosing within such folds the two outer edges of said channelform base, the edges of said supporting members thus folded withinsaid channelform base causing a constriction of the open side of said channelform base thereby assisting in retaining said brush material in place.

2. A method of making a rotary brush of the type having a circular channelform base, an annular supporting member therefor, and brush material extending radially from such base, which comprises forming the base into the shape of a relatively flat channelled ring with outwardly disposed edges, laying the brush material about said ring transversely and exteriorly of said ring, securing an annular retaining member about the brush material firmly to hold the same between said ring and retaining member, placing annular supporting members having inwardly inclined peripheral flanges on each side of the base so positioned that the inwardly inclined flanges overlie the outer edges of the base ring, and compressing the assemblage to double back the supporting members peripheral flanges to enclose within the folds thus made the outer edges of the channel shaped back, the channel shaping of which is completed by the last named compressing.

3. A rotary brush assembly comprising a circular brush-back with a radially disposed channel, brush material secured in said back and extending substantially radially therefrom, and a flat annular member provided with a peripheral flange folded over and embracing within such fold the outer edge of a side of said channelled brushback, thereby reinforcing said brush-back against bursting when rotating at high speeds and also serving to constrict said brush material where it emerges from said back.

4. A rotary brush assembly comprising a circular brush-back with a radially disposed channel, brush material doubled about an elongated retaining member within said back with such material extending substantially radially therefrom, and a flat annular member provided with a peripheral flange folded over and embracing within such fold the outer edge of a side of said channelled brush-back, thereby reinforcing said brush-back against bursting when rotating at high speeds and also serving to constrict said brush material where it emerges from said back to secure such retaining member and material therein, said annular member also having an axially directed portion adapted to seat the inner periphery of said brush-back and a central opening for mounting upon an arbor.

5. In a rotary brush, the combination of a circular base having a radially disposed channel, brush material secured in said base and extending radially therefrom, and tWo complementary,

annular supporting members for said base, said members respectively overlying the outer faces of the sides of said channel and having peripheral flanges interlocked with the respective edges of said channel sides and engaging the inner faces thereof.

6. In a rotary brush, the combination of a circular base having a radially disposed channel, brush material secured in said base and extending radially therefrom, and two complementary, annular supportin members for said base, said members respectively overlying the outer faces of the sides of said channel and having peripheral flanges embracing the respective edges and engaging the inner faces thereof to interlock said members and channel, the central openings in said annular members being bordered with inwardly directed flanges cooperatin to form a seat for mounting such brush on an arbor or like support.

7. In a method of making a rotary brush of the type havin a circular radially disposed channel back, an annular supporting member therefor, and brush material secured in said back and extending substantially radially therefrom, the

steps which comprise placing such circular channel back in lateral engagement with such an nular supporting member of greater diameter than such back, and bending the peripheral outer edge portion of such member into tightly interlocked engagement with the inner face of the adjacent side of such channel back, thereby preventing axial separation of such back and supporting member.

8. In a method of making a rotary brush of the type having a circular radially disposed channel back, annular supporting members therefor, and brush material secured in such back and eX- tending substantially radially therefrom, the steps which comprise forming an inwardly directed flange about the outer periphery of each of two annular supporting members, placin a circular radially disposed channel back having divergent side-walls between such members with such inwardly directed flanges overlying the respective edges of such side-walls, and then laterally compressing such back and supporting members and thereby bringing such flanges. into interlocking engagement with the inner faces of such respective channel side-walls.

9. In a, method of making a rotary brush of the type having a circular radially disposed channel back, annular supporting members therefor, and brush material secured in such back and extending substantially radially therefrom, the steps which comprise forming an inwardly directed flange about the outer periphery of each of two annular supporting members, placin a circular radially disposed channel back having divergent side-walls between such members with such inwardly directed flanges overlying the respective edges of such side-walls, and then laterally compressing such back and supporting members to force the side-walls of such channel into approximately parallel relationship, with such flanges in interlocking engagement with the inner faces of such respective channel side-walls.

10. In a rotary brush, the combination of a circular radially disposed channel base, brush material secured in said base and extending substantially radially therefrom, and an annular supporting member for said base, said member laterally overlying a side of said base and having a peripheral flange folded over the edge of such side and engaging the inner face thereof.

ANTHONY J. ROSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,339,894 Johnson May 11, 1920 1,706,159 Herold Mar. 19, 1929 1,714,137 Radinse May 21, 1929 1,949,665 Sturgis Mar. 6, 193 1 1,990,025 Frost Feb. 5, 1935 2,349,643 Wesemeyer May 23, 1944 

